The prospect of EU membership has resurfaced in an election campaign for the first time in more than a decade, with polls showing that voters are backing pro-EU parties.
The polls show that EU membership has become more popular, with just over 45pc of voters in favour, 35pc against and the rest undecided. Support for joining the EU was much lower in the recent past, based on polling data.
The shift is partially attributed to Iceland’s cost-of-living crisis, as some people believe EU membership could bolster the economy by reducing trade barriers while joining the eurozone would reduce exchange-rate volatility.
“The state of the economy is always what drives the EU question,” Eirikur Bergmann, professor in political science at Bifrost University in Iceland, said.
“Inflation and interest rates have been relatively high in Iceland and that always brings back the question of the euro.”
The country’s economy has also been affected by a series of volcanic eruptions, causing the displacement of thousands, costly infrastructure construction and a decline in tourism.
Despite its non-EU status, Iceland is part of the EU single market, the Schengen open-border travel zone, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
The shift towards supporting EU membership could also reflect the impact of the war in Ukraine. “People are looking at the world and thinking: what about us? Should we be more tied to our allies?” Jon Steindor Valdimarsson, a former MP and co-founder of the pro-EU Liberal Reform Party, said.
Iceland’s premier Bjarni Benediktsson dissolved parliament in October and called for elections to be held on November 30, citing disagreements between the ruling coalition’s three parties.
The Reform Party, a front-runner in polls along with the Social Democratic Alliance, is keen to hold an EU referendum if it wins the election.
But the Social Democrats consider a referendum would be premature, saying it could cause division in the country.
“I don’t want to be put in a position as the leader of a government having a referendum to continue talks with the EU where 52pc say yes and 48pc say no,” Social Democratic leader Kristrun Frostadottir said.
The latest polls suggest the two parties combined would secure 40pc of votes.
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Publish date : 2024-11-28 17:30:00
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